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Monday, April 27, 2015

Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose

Washington's Spies: The Story of America's
First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose concerns itself with American espionage
activities during the American Revolution. This is a great history book that
expands from its base subject to shed light on various related aspects of the
Revolution. This work is the basis for the very good television series TURN.

While Rose’s book touches upon much of the spy work that
both sides engaged in during the war, its primary focus is a on a group that
was known as The Culper Ring. This
was a spy ring that was organized in Southern New York by
American Officer Benjamin Tallmadge. During most of the war, New York City was
the primary hub for British military operations. Rebel spies in the city passed
information across Long Island through key ring member Abraham Woodhull. The
information was then dispatched across the Long Island Sound to rebel-controlled
Connecticut and eventually to George Washington himself. The activities and interactions of the members of the ring are related in fascinating detail.

A great deal of this book is local history for me. A
large percentage of the activity that is described in this work takes place on
Long Island, NY, which is also my home. Much of the political, social and religious
culture of Long Island at the time is surveyed. In addition, a locally famous
raid that was led by Tallmadge is detailed in the book.

In 1780, spurred by intelligence supplied by the ring,
Tallmadge led a small force from Connecticut to Long Island across the Long
Island Sound. He landed near a beach that I often frequent. His mounted troops
rode across Long Island to attack a fort and a supply depot. The resulting
destruction of British provisions and supplies was a detriment to British
forces operating in New Your City. His route is marked locally and known as The
Tallmadge Trail. I live on this trail. His
small force proceeded down a road on which my house is now situated.

One aspect that makes this a history book of
distinction is that it expands beyond its primary subject to provide intriguing
and important insights into multiple aspects of the American Revolution and
early America. Diverse subjects such as the brutal nature of some areas and
subcultures of New York City, the religious aspects and conflicts relating to both
Rebels as well as Loyalists, etc. are explored. As someone who is interested the
American Revolutionary War period, I found this book to be a feast of
interesting concepts.

As I am often known to do, I will focus a little upon
just one of many points of this work. Rose argues that intelligence work in
which both sides engaged was different from, and in many ways unique to, the
American Revolution, as opposed to anything going on in Europe.

Rose explains how such spy craft was not as important
on the battlefields of the Old World. On European conflicts he writes.

“collecting
intelligence about the enemy’s movements was not of prime concern since there
were only certain, defined routes along which an army could travel, and
topographers could thus accurately predict how long a formation would take to
reach its destination”

and later,

“In
Europe, the mark of a great captain was not his talent for deception or for
divining intentions, but his ability to outmaneuver opponents on known ground
and defeating them in the field as they marched and wheeled in lines and
columns.”

Rose goes on to describe how the conflict in
America was different,

In
America’s vast geographical spaces, however, armies (and guerrillas) could
hide, live off the land, travel cross-country, appear out of nowhere, strike,
and vanish. Possessing advance or intimate knowledge of what the enemy was
doing, or was planning to do— the raison d’être of espionage— became of vital importance.

As the business of intelligence was distinctive
in America, Rose goes on to describe all sorts of innovations employed by the
Culper Ring and other rebel spies, as well as by their British opponents, including
invisible ink, complex and innovative codes, economic sabotage through the use
of counterfeiting, etc. This is but one of the many interesting and
enlightening areas explored in this work.

This is a suburb book. It is well written and
researched. It tells an interesting story. It expands into a host of relevant and
diverse subjects. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in the American
Revolutionary War era, the history of New York City and Long Island, or spy
craft in general.

28 comments:

This sounds like a book I want to get. I love the history and I've never thought about spy and intelligence operations during the American Revolution, even if I did read The Spy by Cooper.Thanks the good review.

How interesting for you to be able to make connections between Tallmadge's story and your own surroundings (right down to the road on which your house is situated). I've heard of the Culper Ring but know very little about the history of this period. It sounds like a very well researched book.

Spying is an age old profession, probably been around as long as there was something worth spying about, this kind of reminds me of novels such as Anthony Burgess's "Dead Man in Deptford" about Christopher Marlowe playwright & spy for Queen Elizabeth

Hi Jacqui -Most folks who live in major cities have a lot of history connected to their surroundings. Not so much for many of us who live in less famous places. That aspect of the book and the television series was a treat for me.

Wow, I find this subject fascinating, especially how the use of secret codes, invisible ink, etc. came into use because of the war. This subject must be particularly interesting to you since much of the action took place in your area.

Fascinating review. I was impressed with the way the author differentiated the nature of war in America from Europe. This along with the innovations you mentioned seem to set apart this history. Sounds like a book I would like to read.

History is definitely something I want to read more about and actually have a few books on my tbr. This sounds really interesting, when you think of the tactics both sides do/did to get intel and how they utilized it!

It's interesting you read a book so connected to the place where you live. I really enjoyed your review, in particular the details concerned with spying like the invisible ink. History is fascinating, but like Caroline I would be more interested in the movie(s).

I'm glad you recommended this book - it sounds fascinating, and I hadn't heard of it before.

Espionage is something I've been getting interested in recently (in purely academic ways…), plus having grown up on Long Island I'd like to find out more about the history.

If you're visiting DC at some point, there's a fairly decent espionage museum there that looks at history and also techniques (and there's some pop culture stuff too, like a James Bond exhibit, which was less interesting as I'm not a Bond fan).

Another GREAT review, Brian! This is SO fascinating -- 007 during the American Revolution! Minus all the gadgets, of course, lol.

Seriously, though, this is indeed very interesting, and especially because all of these activities took place in the same area you live in! WOW. That's totally AMAZING!! Could it be that your interest in the American Revolutionary era was unconsciously sparked by the fact that you live on "The Tallmadge Trial? Fascinating speculation, don't you think?

I don't read much history, but I should, especially concerning the American Revolution. So I'm adding this book to my Goodreads TBR shelves.

American espionage activities during the American Revolution sounds like a fascinating topic. I have seen the commercials for the tv show Turn, it looks good. I hadn't heard of the Culper Ring before.How cool that alot of this history is so close to where you live.

I live near a Manor house which has historical connections to the American Revolution as well. Washington's map maker was housed there for a while. There's alot of history in NJ connected to the Revolution as well and it's always neat to visit these places.Great post as always.